Securing Restful Services With Token Based Authentication Computer Science Essay

Securing Restful Services With Token Based Authentication Computer Science Essay Enterprises are increasingly deploying RESTful services for two reasons 1) to enable Web 2.0 integrations with data stores and backend systems 2) to allow RPC-style communication between client side web frameworks like GWT or YUI and backend systems. In addition, there are multiple frameworks to develop these services that are consumed internally and externally by different endpoints in different contexts. Hence, it is vital to provide simple and adaptable security that both integrates seamlessly with enterprise security and brings authentication, authorization and integrity to the services. This paper covers the pros and cons of various approaches of RESTful services security: 1) Transport level security (TLS/SSL) provides secure peer-to-peer authentication, but this technique is inadequate when requests for authentication are based on delegation (allowing sites to authenticate on behalf of the user). 2) The OAuth protocol enables consumers to access services through an API that doe s not require consumers to disclose their service provider credentials to access services. This is the most commonly followed approach used by Google AuthSub, AOL OpenAuth, and the Amazon AWS API. However, not all REST frameworks provide support to this protocol. 3) Token-based authentication developed for CA Technologies Unified Connector Framework (UCF) to expose services over REST or SOAP combines the advantages of these two without compromising standards and simplicity. Introduction Since RESTful web services are exposed using standard HTTP protocol and methods, they can easily be consumed in multiple ways, such as with direct access from browsers using URLs; through programmatic interface using HTTP client libraries; and from client side frameworks such as JavaScript,. If enterprise systems provide RESTful access to their data and functionality, the open nature of REST requires a strong security solution to prevent access by unintended users; to prevent sniffers on the network from reading messages; and to control the users who are allowed to interact with specific services and disallow certain actions for certain users. The question is what should be the strong security solution? The REST protocol itself does not specify any predefined security methods. Many people believe that HTTP security practices can be successfully applied for securing REST services. This can be true, depending on the scenarios where RESTful services are consumed. HTTP security may be ad equate if the RESTful services are intended for internal use only. One example is web applications using Ajax frameworks. Since they need RPC over HTTP or RESTful services for backend interactions, invocation of services is internal to the UI and transparent to clients who interact with the UI. In such a scenario, HTTP security may be adequate.. However, greater security is required when RESTful services are intended for external use, For example, CA Technologies Catalyst integration platform provides RESTful services that can be consumed by such mechanisms as mashups, ESBs, Ruby scripts, and many more, and requires a higher level of security. Although the security requirements greatly vary for these two scenarios, we need a simple and adaptable solution for both. This article describes the commonly used security methods for RESTful services and suggests a solution that mostly fulfills the security requirements for externally published services, including REST, SOAP over JMS, SOAP o ver HTTP, and other protocols. This approach was developed for and is used in the RESTful services of the Core API of CA Technologies Catalyst integration platform. Commonly available methods for securing RESTful services Container-Managed Authentication and Authorization: As RESTful web services are HTTP-centric, the most natural fit for authentication and authorization is container based authentication and authorization. The concept of realm places a central role in the Tomcat approach. A realm is a collection of resources including web pages and web services, with a designated authentication and authorization facility. The container approach to security also is declarative than programmatic that is details about the security realm are specified in a configuration file rather than in code. The container also provides option to enable wire level security. Refer [1] [2] for information about configuring realms for authentication and authorization and SSL/TLS for wire level security. The advantages of this method need not be specified explicitly here as they are proven and widely used. However, it has the following limitations when applied to RESTful services for enterprise use: With user credentials based authentication, the security solution is confined to identity silos. It does not support the Actas scenario. An Actas scenario involves multi-tiered systems to authenticate and pass information about identities between the tiers without having to pass this information at the application/business logic layer. Mutual Authentication: HTTPS with client certificate enabled performs two-way authentication. In addition to the client receiving a signed digital certificate representing the server, the server can receive a certificate that represents and identifies the client. When a client initially connects to a server, it exchanges its certificate and the server matches it against its internal store. Once this link is established, there is no further need for user authentication. Mutual authentication is perhaps the most secure way to perform authentication on the Web. This approach has the same drawbacks mentioned in the previous section. Another disadvantage of this approach is the managing of the certificates. The server must create a unique certificate for each client that wants to connect to the service. From the browser/human perspective, this can be burdensome, as the user has to do some extra configuration to interact with the server. Shared Key based authentication: This is the common method used by Amazon web services and Microsoft Azure services. In this method initially the client registers with the service provider. As part of registration, the service provider sends the client an Access Key ID and a Secret Access Key. When a client wants to invoke services, it prepares the request, performs a hash on the request using its Secret Access Key, attaches the signature (hash) to the request, and forwards it to the service provider. The service provider verifies the signature is a valid hash of the request and, if authenticated, processes the request ([3] [4]). This achieves requester authentication as well as integrity without SSL The problem with this authentication schemes is that the contents and ordering of the string to sign are different from one service provider to another service provider. For instance, though Amazons and Azures mechanisms are very similar, their differences make them incompatible. Perhaps due to this issue, the OAuth approach covered in the next section is gaining popularity as a standard security mechanism for RESTful services. OAuth Oauth is an open protocol allowing secure API authentication and authorization in a simple and standard method for web applications. OAuth allows users of a service to provide limited access to a third party account of theirs to the service without sharing credentials. OAuth is often described as a valet key that users can give to a service to access their accounts on other services. For example, a user of Flickr (the service provider) would provide Snapfish (the consumer) with read only access to their Flickr account. This lets Snapfish access photos in the users Flickr account so they can order prints. Refer [5] for more details about OAuth specification. OAuth has some distinct advantages: It doesnt require certificates By choosing the right token format, it can support claims based Token. A claim is a statement about a subject; for example, a name, key, group, permission, or capability made by one subject about itself or another subject. Claims are given one or more values and then packaged in security tokens that are distributed by the issuer. It supports the SAML token. SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is a standard for exchanging authorization and authentication data between between an identity provider and a service provider regardless of their platforms or security systems. OAuth with SAML enables federated authentication and authorization. The only drawback is that not all RESTful services frameworks provide native support for dealing with OAuth based authentication. For example, Apache CXF does not support OAuth. Token based Authentication CA Technologies Catalyst4 integration platform includes the Unified Connector Framework (UCF) that provides a Java-based solution for connectivity and integration among CA and third-party products UCF has distinct security requirements: It should be able to support Actas scenarios; the platform should be able to invoke services from 3rd party providers on the behalf of clients Catalyst exposes services in several different protocols, including RESTful, SOAP over HTTP, SOAP over JMS, etc. Its security solution should work consistently in all the forms of the services. Its security solution should be extensible, simple and adaptable in different scenarios. To accommodate these requirements, UCF introduced the token based security solution using public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificate for authentication and authorization of its services. This solution has the following components:. Domain Trust Certificate (DTC) is an X.509 v3 certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) or self signed owned by the DomainManager that controls the UCF domain. Trusted Certificate (TC) is a X.509 v3 certificate signed by DTC. A Node is either a service provider or service consumer who owns that TC signed by the DTC. Security Service is available per container2 which hosts several connectors1. This service issues a Token, validates the Token and sets claims retrieved from Token to the context so that they can be used by connectors or other entities in the container for Authorization or Actas scenarios. CertAuthService is an independent entity provides services like signing Certificate Signing Request CSR 5 and providing the DTC public key Token consists of set of claims signed by security service. Interactions on the Client side: The client generates a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) using keytool 6 and obtains a X.509 certificate signed by DTC from the CertAuthService. The signed CSR is called a Trusted Certificate (TC) in UCF domain. The client makes an addTrust() request to the Security Service at the service provider by passing its public key certificate. This step enables the Security Service to validate the certificate and add provided certificate to its trust store. Steps 1 2 are performed only once per client. The client makes a getToken() call with tokenRequest to the Security Service. The tokenRequest consists of claims and a signature computed using the clients private key. If client is using UCF API to make remote calls, then steps 1 2 are transparent to the client at the time of proxy creation to the service endpoint. The client prepares the request and adds the Token to the request header. If client is using the UCF API to make remote calls, then adding the Token to the request header is transparent to the client. The client makes a remote call Interactions on the Service side: The Security Service is hosted from a Catalyst container so that it is available to both external users and inside the container for security token validations. For addTrust() calls, the Security service validates the provided certificates signature to find whether it is signed by DTC or not. If it is DTC signed then the Service adds the certificate to its trust store. For getToken() calls, the Security service checks the signature against the available keys in its trust store. If it succeeds then a token is prepared and returned to the client. The token consists of claims, lifetime and the signature of the Security service. For all incoming calls to the services available in the Catalyst container, calls are intercepted at CXF handlers and the token is verified with Security service. If it is from a valid client then claims are extracted out of the token and sets to thread local context so that it may be used by connector implementation for further authorization or authentication with other service providers. Finally, the call is forwarded to the service. If the Security service is unable to validate the token, an unauthorized exception is returned to the client. Authorization is handled by any provider on service using claims. As described above, this solution supports authentication based on X.509 certificate and authorization is done by any provider using claims. The same set of claims is used for Actas scenario. For instance, services running in Catalyst container can use claims to talk to another services or endpoint on the behalf client. Conclusion The solution described in Section 3 is a better fit for platforms/products like Catalyst that need to make services available in more than one form such as REST, SOAP over HTTP and SOAP over JMS. It is a security solution that works consistently in all forms of services. Also, the solution is extensible to other modes of authentication like user credentials other than certificate based. This solution needs additional work to replace custom Token format to SAML based so that tokens can be consumed in third party software which understands SAML. This. Acknowledgments The solution described in Section 3 was contributed by entire UCF team which includes Sijelmassi, Rachid, me, GVN, Anila Kumar and Koganti, Naga. . Actas

JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory

JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory The events that occurred on November 22, 1963 have invoked more intrigue than any other assassination of the twentieth century. Fortunately, because of the advances in technology, the assassination of President Kennedy was recorded in film both with motion and still photography. These graphic souvenirs have been the subject of much research and inquiry. More time has gone into investigating the two minutes surrounding the firing of the fatal shots than any other time period (Arnold, 1997). The assassination of arguably one of the greatest presidents of the United States was seen by hundreds of eyewitness spectators who all qualified as first-person witnesses. The debate that encompasses the assassination includes the dispute whether President Kennedy was the victim of an assassination conspiracy. As one examines the contradictions, eyewitness accounts, and support evidence, various the conclusions may be reached, the main notion that Lee Harvey Oswald may have not been solely respons ible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but acted simultaneously with other unknown conspirators. On Nov. 22, 1963 President Kennedy and his wife were in Dallas, Texas trying to strengthen his political campaign for his upcoming election. While in his motorcade, President Kennedy was fatally shot from a sixth floor warehouse window. As the shots were being fired, a member of the Secret Service jumped on the back of the car and dove  on top of the president, shielding him (Groden, 1993). During the shooting, Governor Connally suffered injuries to his right side. Although the Governor was badly wounded,  he survived. At 1:00 p.m. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at the Parkland Hospital. Later that afternoon aboard Air Force One, Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President of the United States of America (Groden, 1993). As President Kennedys motorcade turned left onto Elm Street a series of gunshots rang out. Kennedy was struck twice and Governor Connally was struck once. The public was outraged that President Kennedy was murdered and wanted an explanation. President Lyndon B. Johnson set up the Warren Commission, lead by Earl Warren, to head investigation. The Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin in the murder of John F. Kennedy. According to the official report from the Warren Commission all three shots came from the sixth story of the Texas School Book Depository (Kallen, 2003). Thus, the Commission surmised that Oswald had been completely responsible. Lee Harvey Oswald was claimed as the sole assassin of President Kennedy. Oswald had been very disgruntled with the government ever since he had been discharged from the United States Marine Corps. Following his discharge, he moved to the Soviet Union attempting to acquire citizenship and after being denied citizenship, he returned to the United States (Newman, 1995). The year Oswald shot and killed President  Kennedy, he moved to Dallas, Texas where he plotted the assassination of the president with numerous co-conspirators (Newman, 1995). The angle of the bullets caused a lot of controversy. After the assassination, the first official autopsy on the human body took place on President Kennedy. There were two autopsies on President Kennedy, one in Bethesda Naval Hospital, and another in Parkland Hospital in Dallas. In Bethesda, the doctors said that the bullets had entered President Kennedys body in this upper portion of the neck, and emerged out of the neck about 2 centimeters above his bow tie (Kallen, 2003). However, the doctors at Parkland Hospital said that the back wounds were lower, and had different modes of entry. Parkland doctors found that the bullets entered about 2 centimeters above the Presidents bow tie, and emerged out of his lower back, about 14 centimeters below the entering wound (Kallen, 2003). With that trajectory, the gunman would have to have been situated well above the President, an impossible shot. The Warren Commission completely ignored these findings and did not make mention of them in the official report (Kallen, 2003). The Warren Commission also ignored the opinions of experts as well as eyewitness accounts and the sounds coming from police radios. The latter of these proofs were the recordings captured on the radio traffic of the Dallas Police Department. These radios were in the possession of police officers who were positioned close to the motorcade and adjacent to a railroad yard and a grassy knoll. The first two gunshots could be heard faintly in the distance while the third was noticeably louder and presumably fired closer to where the officers were stationed (Prouty, 1992). The recordings were analyzed by experts and a joint conclusion was made. In December of 1963, two of the expert investigators, Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschkenasy, testified before the House Assassination Committee. In their conclusion Professor Weiss stated that with the probability of ninety-five percent or better the third shot came from the grassy knoll (Arnold, 1997). Furthermore, several innocent bystanders also confirmed that gunfire came from the grassy knoll. These witnesses included six railroad workers who confirmed reports of smoke being seen in the area surrounding the grassy knoll immediately after the shooting stopped (Prouty, 1992). Additionally, several onlookers heard the sharp crack of a rifle report behind them as they observed the Presidents motorcade (Prouty, 1992). Perhaps the most compelling account is the description given by Senator Ralph Yarborough who  rode in the motorcade a few cars behind President Kennedys limousine. The Senator stated that after driving by the grassy knoll you could smell [gun] powder on our car nearly all the way to Parkland Hospital (Prouty, 1992). The common link between the assassination of President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald was Jack Ruby, the man who killed Oswald in the basement of the Dallas Police Department Headquarters. Many people questioned why Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Was this a cover up to keep him from talking about his part in this tragedy? Ruby was a nightclub owner and a local strongman with strong ties to organized crime (Lindopy, 1992). His associates included Joseph Campisi, a top-ranked  Dallas Mafia member and Carlos Marcello, the head of the New Orleans crime family (Arnold, 1997). According to eyewitness accounts and swore affidavits, Ruby met with these men and other Mafia members in several meetings in the period of time leading up to the assassination of President Kennedy (Arnold, 1997). Also, numerous phone calls  including long-distance calls were placed between Ruby and his Mafia associates before the assassination (Arnold, 1997). In fact Ruby was so involved with organized crime t hat he was referred to as one of our boys by the Mafia leadership (Prouty, 1992). When the United States House of Representatives issued their final report in the spring of 1964, they reported that the logical and probable inference of the assassination of President Kennedy was that the President was killed as the result of a conspiracy (Prouty, 1992). This conclusion was in direct disagreement with the Warren  Commissions presumption of Oswald as the lone gunman. There is strong evidence to suggest that the Mafia ordered the death of President Kennedy as a penalty for meddling with the affairs of organized crime. Jack Ruby was simply used as a pawn by murdering the only suspect. By 1963, the Kennedy administration had become much evolved and somewhat successful in its attempts to prosecute the Mafia. This was evident though the Justice Departments triumph in sending several Mafia leaders to prison and dismantling its control over some parts of its realm including illegal gambling and loan sharking (Lindopy, 1992). President Kennedys brother, Robert Bobby Kennedy, was the Attorney General of the United States and largely responsible for these Federal indictments and prosecutions. Bobby Kennedy could have overlooked the destruction of organized crime but instead chose to target the Mafia from the highest levels of its organization (Lindopy, 1992). Additionally, the Mafia had set a precedent of killing or removing from power those opposed to their agenda. Examples of this treachery include the assassination of Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, United Auto Workers President Walter Reuther and UAW-AFL President John Kilpatrick (Lindopy, 1992). Each of these men was murdered for opposing the Mafias plans or speaking out against them. Thus the stage may have been set for the assassination of President Kennedy. The second major theory surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy involves the United States primary spy network, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). During the Second World War the Central Intelligence Agency possessed much power. Their policy and decision making affected nearly every aspect of the war from key military offences to the decree to drop the atomic bomb on Japan (Newman, 1995). After the War, the CIA continued planning governmental strategies and exercised great power until the failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castros Cuban government at the Bay of Pigs. Deeply angered by this CIA disaster, President Kennedy and his advisors decided that Allen Dulles, the Director of the CIA, and other top level staff must go (Prouty, 1992). In  fact, President Kennedy was so angered by the botched maneuver that he vowed to shatter the CIA into a thousand pieces (Prouty, 1992). In November of 1961, President  Kennedy fired Director Dulles and his top aides throwing the CIA into a state of semi-disarray (Prouty, 1992). Furthermore, President Kennedy was determined to remove all United States military personnel from Vietnam, effectively ending U.S. involvement in Asia. This move worried the CIA in addition to several large companies providing armaments for the war effort (Newman, 1995). The CIA felt that while the ending of the war may have economic implications, the main fault of this idea was that it would leave American interests vulnerable having no visible military presence in the Far East (Prouty, 1992). The CIA was resolute to reverse the Presidents plan no matter what the cost (Newman, 1995). In August through October of 1962, the CIA met with the President and his advisors to attempt to change his intentions in Vietnam. When President Kennedy refused to negotiate with the intelligence community the stage was set for his assassination (Newman, 1992). After Kennedys assassination and despite the overwhelming evidence of multiple shooters, the news reports spoke only of Oswald as the lone assassin. This lack of information to the public was the brainchild of the CIA in its attempt to cover-up the facts (Newman, 1992). This craftily constructed plot was carefully monitored by skilled agents who could control certain key facets of the bureaucracy, the Warren Commission and the news media (Prouty, 1992). This activity caused J. Lee Rankin, the commissions general counsel to say, Part of our difficulty in regard to the assassination in that they  have decided that it is Oswald who committed the assassination.  They have decided that no one else was involved (Prouty, 1992). Perhaps the most compelling evidence for the CIAs involvement in the assassination of President Kennedy was the quick reversal of Kennedys policies by Lyndon B. Johnson, the man who followed John F. Kennedy in the Presidency. Whether for political reasons or for self-preservation, President Johnson both supported the Warren Commissions findings and reversed the course of Kennedys Vietnam policy (Newman, 1005). Perhaps Johnson too, feared for his life and would not oppose the effective power of the CIA (Prouty, 1992). In any case, a strong argument exists to support the theory that the CIA was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. There is no serious question that Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy and Governor Connally. Oswald took a rifle to work, claiming the long package contained curtain rods (Semple, 2003). There was no eyewitness to him shooting the rifle from inside the building, though a witness saw him from the street and gave a rough description to the police. The rifle was found hidden on the sixth floor. It was the same gun Oswald had ordered through the mail and it had Oswalds fingerprints on it (Kallen, 2003). The bullets causing the wound to President Kennedy and Governor Connally were matched to this gun. Boxes used to make the snipers lair had Oswalds prints on them as well (Aynesworth, 2003). Oswald fled the scene and later shot a police officer who had stopped him for routine questioning. While in detention, he told numerous easily-discoverable lies to police interrogators (Aynesworth, 2003). For many countries around the world, November 22, 1963 is just another date on the calendar. But for America, it represents one of the darkest days in the history of this still very young nation. It represented the end of Americas innocence. It forced America to wake up, rub its virgin eyes and experience the world for what it really is: a cold, harsh reality that we were not ready to deal with. There is no question that Lee Harvey Oswald was directly involved in the shootings of President Kennedy and Governor Connally. But  overwhelming evidence and contradictions support the theory that the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was much more then just a lone attack, giving way to one of the greatest conspiracies ever imagined and changing America forever.

Mcdonaldization Of Society Essay -- McDonalds Fast Food Standardizati

The McDonaldization of:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you have ever had a meal in a restaurant (fast-food/formal dining), used an ATM in a bank, spent your vacation at an amusement park or simply browsed through a mall, you have been exposed to McDonaldization. McDonaldization is â€Å"the process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of America society as well as the rest of the world† (Ritzer, 1996, 1). Nearly ever aspect of today’s society has been affected by McDonaldization including the restaurant business, education, work, healthcare, travel, leisure, dieting, politics and the family (Ritzer, 1996, 1). I observed three East Side Mario’s Restaurant’s establishments while the dinner menu was being served on Saturday evenings between 6pm and 8pm to evaluate the ways in which McDonaldization has affected their company. On January 29th I visited East Side Mario’s in London, Ontario, on February 19th I visited East Side Mario’s in Plano, Texas (I used to hold a job as a server at this location) and on February 26th I visited East Side Mario’s in Orange, California. With the diversity of locations I was able to observe, I compared and contrasted many angles of the East Side Mario’s concept. East Side Mario’s Restaurants Inc. is one of the millions of business’ that has implemented the four principles of McDonaldization, which are: efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the assistance of Bernard Platt, Vice President of Marie Callender’s Pie Shops, Inc., former Vice President of East Side Mario’s Restaurant, Inc., I will offer a condensed presentation of East Side Mario’s history to get you familiar with the business. East Side Mario’s Restaurants, Inc., is a wholly owned division of Marie Callender’s Pie Shops, Inc. In 1987 a partnership of restauranteurs developed the ESM (for the remainder of this case study I will us the initial ESM to refer to East Side Mario’s Restaurants, Inc.) concept in North Miami, Florida featuring the excitement and energy of a New York City street festival, a blend of outstanding American and Italian food, a place where families felt welcome and comfortable offering exceptional value. Today operating as a separate division of Marie Callender’s Pie Shops, Inc., there are a total of 38 American restaurants – 11 corporate and 27 franchise â₠¬â€œ and there are over 80 ESM ... ...cDonaldization†. I believe McDonaldization has invaded every sector of society and as someone who grew up with McDonaldization at every corner of my life I would have to say it’s been productive. It has allowed society to evolve. Every aspect of life has consequences and downfalls; it’s just a matter of dealing with them. I like moving at a fast pace. Why do people have to make friends with every person they encounter? It’s nice to have companionship but not from your server in a restaurant. McDonaldization has served as a directing force, another stage in our history. We adapt to every turn the world makes and change is good. When all of the aspects of McDonaldization are intertwined society runs smoothly. East Side Mario’s was an example of a company that followed all the rules, aimed for a goal and made it. I believe that’s all that it should take in anything you do in life to make it, just follow the rules and reach for your goals. McDonaldization is a positive contribution to society. Bibliography Ritzer, George. 1996. The McDonaldization of Society: An investigation into the changing character of contemporary social life. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press.

The End of Male Dominance Essay example -- Patriarchy Literature

Patriarchy is a form of social organization in which a male is the head of the family and has all the power to control and be a dominant individual. Male dominance is an ever present concept in society but women found a way to challenge this notion and overcome the hardships of male elitism. In â€Å"Nervous Conditions† by Tsitsi Dangarembga is focused on the colonized African clan called the Sigauke clan. The novel examines unequal power relations between men and women in the Sigauke clan which is largely steeped in tradition. The women in the story challenge the practices of male dominance; usually unsuccessful but each of these women make an effort to question some of decisions that were righteous of the patriarch. The women also break out of the role of domesticity and servility to the surprise of the men. â€Å"The Awakening† by Kate Chopin and â€Å"Things fall apart† by Chinua Achebe are very similar to the notion of woman challenging male elitism. The narrator, Tambu is culturally restricted to roles that denied her opportunity to rise above domesticity. Tambu is trapped which is portrayed when her mother says, â€Å"and these days it’s worse, with the poverty of blackness on one side and the weight of womanhood on the other† (16). Tambu’s story traces her hardships from infancy; she has to cultivate the fields, fetch the water from Nyamarira river, look after her young siblings, and cook for the family. Many of these roles obstructed her chances of attending school, her brother, Nhamo, on the other hand is able to study. He is privileged to attend school despite the family having to eke out a living. The relationship between Tambu and Nhamo is reduced to that of the privileged and the non-privileged. Nhamo has all the opportunities becau... ...iety by the men. Men always picture the women to be the housewife and nurture the children whereas the men are the ones that go to work and bring food to the table. This idea is contradicted in this story, many women play powerful roles that challenge the men. Education is a huge part of it because with knowledge becomes power and many of the women in the story are educated. Another way in how women challenged male dominance is by standing up to them to what they believe and defending themselves. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Ed. Edel Rodriquez. New York: Reed Consumer Books. 1994. Print 3-209 Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. Ed. Elaine Showalter. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1992. Print 1-221 Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Ed. Holmes, Martha Stoddard. Oxfordshire: Ayebia Clarke Publishing Ltd, 2004. Print 1-208. The End of Male Dominance Essay example -- Patriarchy Literature Patriarchy is a form of social organization in which a male is the head of the family and has all the power to control and be a dominant individual. Male dominance is an ever present concept in society but women found a way to challenge this notion and overcome the hardships of male elitism. In â€Å"Nervous Conditions† by Tsitsi Dangarembga is focused on the colonized African clan called the Sigauke clan. The novel examines unequal power relations between men and women in the Sigauke clan which is largely steeped in tradition. The women in the story challenge the practices of male dominance; usually unsuccessful but each of these women make an effort to question some of decisions that were righteous of the patriarch. The women also break out of the role of domesticity and servility to the surprise of the men. â€Å"The Awakening† by Kate Chopin and â€Å"Things fall apart† by Chinua Achebe are very similar to the notion of woman challenging male elitism. The narrator, Tambu is culturally restricted to roles that denied her opportunity to rise above domesticity. Tambu is trapped which is portrayed when her mother says, â€Å"and these days it’s worse, with the poverty of blackness on one side and the weight of womanhood on the other† (16). Tambu’s story traces her hardships from infancy; she has to cultivate the fields, fetch the water from Nyamarira river, look after her young siblings, and cook for the family. Many of these roles obstructed her chances of attending school, her brother, Nhamo, on the other hand is able to study. He is privileged to attend school despite the family having to eke out a living. The relationship between Tambu and Nhamo is reduced to that of the privileged and the non-privileged. Nhamo has all the opportunities becau... ...iety by the men. Men always picture the women to be the housewife and nurture the children whereas the men are the ones that go to work and bring food to the table. This idea is contradicted in this story, many women play powerful roles that challenge the men. Education is a huge part of it because with knowledge becomes power and many of the women in the story are educated. Another way in how women challenged male dominance is by standing up to them to what they believe and defending themselves. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Ed. Edel Rodriquez. New York: Reed Consumer Books. 1994. Print 3-209 Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. Ed. Elaine Showalter. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1992. Print 1-221 Dangarembga, Tsitsi. Nervous Conditions. Ed. Holmes, Martha Stoddard. Oxfordshire: Ayebia Clarke Publishing Ltd, 2004. Print 1-208.

My Earliest Memory Essay examples -- Essays Papers

I have a notoriously bad memory even now, and I have no recollection of it ever having been any better. Thinking back, I have reasonably clear and complete memories for only the past three years or so, becoming increasingly spotty and episodic the older they are. On the far end, I also am familiar with a set of stories about by infancy that my parents have told me. It is somewhere in this border between implanted stories and fuzzy memories that I look in trying to find my earliest memory. What I come up with is a memory from preschool, actually a constellation of memories surrounding that particular one, from a specific, short time period. At some point, my preschool class was presenting a play about the fall, including a song that, for whatever reason, I recall describing the downward flow of sap within the trees in preparation for winter. I also remember ultimately missing the performance because of a family vacation, to go camping in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas to a favorite campground named Gunner's Pool (adjacent to a much inferior campground, Barkshed, that my parents h...

BPR and Enterprise Systems

Some of the factors that a process engineer should take into consideration when designing a BPR project includes the following; first of all the project engineer should consider developing a decision making framework, which should be relevant at the very initial stages of the project in relation to the project requirements and objectives as well as goals. The framework is the most important tool, which will be used through the whole life of the project.This factor is unique to the BPR projects as it is not taken into consideration in establishing the ERP projects (Portougal and Sundaram p13-150). The second factor is the recruitment of recognized individuals, who should be recognized persons from the various departments that they represent. These leaders will be required to participate in the various aspects of the project, especially the selection and implementation phases of the project.This is important as it will encourage free flow of information in carrying out the projects. Th e third factor is that, the engineer should take into consideration to the project management as well as planning measures, to ensure that innovation advances are encouraged in carrying out the project as well as avoid unnecessary project expenses (Harmon, Rosen and Guttman, p52-67).The fourth factor the engineer should consider should be the use of consultants as, well as the decisions of the peers where a given proportion of the project is assigned to the outsiders to encourage the application of new knowledge skills which will improve the project. Finally, among other considerations the project engineer should consider developing a kind of special office environment which will be deciced to the project team.So as to improve on the performance of the project, the engineer should consider the training programs which will enable the project team members to improve on their performance skills. Some of the factors that are considered to be unique in relation to the BPR projects, when considered with the other projects are that the process is carried out as a continuous process, whereby evaluations are carried out on a regular basis to improve on the areas with display some forms of difficulties (Portougal and Sundaram p13-150).Some of the problems encountered while undertaking the BPR projects include the organizations failing to offer the necessary support in carrying out the projects; many of the projects fail to take off well in cases where the organizational resources are not dedicated in carrying out the projects. In such situations, the management of the project does not carry out strategic planning activities, which will seek to establish the market focus for their project.In relation to that, the project may have been initiated by the wrong people or in the wrong department in the organization, which does not initiate the management of the organization to dedicate its resources as they feel they may lose in the process (Harmon, Rosen and Guttman, p52-67) . The other difficulty experienced in carrying such kind of projects is that the work groups, which are involved in carrying out the project activities lack inspiration, as well as innovation tactics in carrying out the projects, and this are the most important requirements for the success of the projects.This can be caused by the management of the organization as well as that of the project injecting too much pressure on the project members, and also the participants would lack the needed knowledge and skills to carry out the project activities. On the other hand, there are problems in cases where underestimations are made in relation to carrying out the project activities. In any BPR project, there is usually social career as well as the procedural dimension which need to be carried out to ensure that the project is successful.The problem in this area arises as to the management of the human aspects, which involve change that is usually comprehensive to manage as compared to other environmental changes (Portougal and Sundaram p13-150). To address the issue of support from the organization when carrying out the BPR projects, there is need for the management of the organization to come up with ways in which they allocate the resources of the company towards the projects by developing budgets before the projects are implemented.So as to ensure the project members will carry out their project activities well, the training programs should be used to initiate competency in the project members. To improve their morale to work, they should be compensated according by initiating a number of remuneration packages that will be of benefit to the project members. Considering that the management of change is an issue in carrying out the BPR projects, it is important for the management of the organization to initiate flexible management structures, which would initiate a culture of change within an organization before the projects are undertaken.In doing so, the project me mbers will find it more ease to adapt to changes in the project activities, as they will have been used to a culture of change (Langer, p268-230). Given that most of the projects fail as a result of inefficiencies in the management functions, the is need for the management of the organization and that of the project to carry out strategic management activities before and as they carry out the project activities. This is to ensure that the uncertainties in the future of the project are dealt with in a more efficient way.The advantages of carrying strategic planning activities is that they enable an organization to handle its strengths and weaknesses as well as the emerging business opportunities at the market place and in that way could be able to come up with effective strategies. This will enable the project management team and the organization to utilize their potential in achieving project success with the limited resources (Harmon, Rosen and Guttman, p52-67). In carrying out BPR projects they are usually a number of tools that can be used in carrying out the requirements of the project.One of these tools includes the use of the IT architecture. In using this instrument a number of packages have been developed which could enable the user to carry out the different aspects of the project, which include process analysis to redesigning as well as project modelling. The tool enables the organization to determine the difference between the level of work required to be carried out in a given project, and the ways in which the difference can be narrowed so as to achieve the objectives of the project.Despite the tool being useful to the organization, it seems to a complex technique in carrying out the project activities and sometimes could act as a hindrance to the various project activities, which could affect the general results off the projects. The challenge which comes from the use of this tool is that it demands that the decisions of the project needs to be m ade early enough, so as to make the necessary adjustments as the project progresses and within a limited time period (Langer, p268-230).So as to deal with this major challenge in the use of the IT architecture, there is need to simplify the technique so as to enable the project members to implement its use with ease. In addition to that, early planning measures need to adopt. Some of the common goals that are aimed at in carrying out the BPR and enterprise systems involve; analyzing as well as suggesting ways in which the organization can be able to improve on it most critical business activities, which form part of the organizational structure.This is all intended at increasing the general performance of the organization, so as to create value for the various stakeholders of the organization (Langer, p268-230). The second most important goal relates to the successfully coordinating the various resources of the organization such as its hardware, software and many others so as to mak e them be in line to the organizational culture thus achieve an optimally functioning organization system.Some of the similarities between the BPR and the enterprise system are that, they both are focused towards initiating change in the organization, which will eventually improve on the performance level of the organization. The main difference between the two approaches is that the process orientation in the two is totally different. In BPR, the manner in which change is initiated is through innovations and also encompassing of knowledge which has been used in the past, whereas for the enterprise approach such measures are not taken into consideration (Langer, p268-230).BPR is considered to be more suitable especially if it is done in appropriate manner in carrying out organizational change, which is one of the ingredients needed to create value for the customers. On the other hand, the BPR projects can involve the customers in initiating the creation of value thus end up engaging the organizational members in activities that will seek ;to establish a competitive advantage for the organization (Harmon, Rosen and Guttman, p52-67).The enterprise system is more suitable in situations where trade offs need to be made between the various project techniques that need to bring about change in the organization under various situations (Harmon, Rosen and Guttman, p52-67). References Portougal, V, Sundaram, D. Business processes: operational solutions for SAP implementation. Idea Group Inc (IGI), 2005. Harmon, P, Rosen, M and Guttman, M. Developing E-business systems & architectures: a manager's guide. Morgan Kaufmann, 2001. Langer, A. Analysis and Design of Information Systems. Springer, 2007.

Residential car Essay

In this assignment we will discuss Residential care as a system of care provision in the Ireland. We will also discuss how the intervention may be of support to clients and the different theoretical approaches used. We will list the pros and cons of residential care and discuss the differences between the Private, Public and Voluntary sectors. Although it is generally in the best interest of the child for him or her to be brought up by their own family, it is not always possible as a child’s welfare and safety is paramount to their wellbeing. Residential care is described as care for children who can no longer be cared for by their family in their own home. This may also happen in the case of a child who has been abandoned or orphaned. Where parents are unable to cope due to illness or other problems they may agree to their children being taken into the care of the Health Service Executive (HSE.ie). Residential care refers to care that can be provided in a home (for children i n the care of the HSE) staffed by Care Staff. The home or centre is referred to as a children’s residential centre. Residential care may be provided in a HSE run children’s residential centres. Care may also be provided by voluntary organizations on a not for profit basis. In recent years, organizations also provide residential care for young people on a for profit basis. Under the Child Care Act 1991 residential centres have to be registered and inspected by health boards. Centre’s managed directly by the HSE are inspected by the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) and those centres in the voluntary sector and contracted to the HSE are inspected by nominated appropriate personal. The recent development of the private sector provision of residential centres follows the similar registration and inspection requirements of the voluntary sector. (Lecture notes) The purpose of residential care is to provide a safe, nurturing environment for individual children and young people who cannot live at home or in an alternative family environment. It aims to meet in a planned way the physical, educational, emotional, spiritual, health and social needs of each child. This may include ; working with a young person’s Social Worker and other professionals to prepare a young person for a successful return home, working with a young person’s Social Worker and other professionals to prepare a young person for a successful transition to an agreed placement of choice, working with a young person’s Social Worker and other professionals to prepare a young person for a  successful transition to independent / supported living (Institute of Child Protection Studies) There are many different ways in which residential care can support a child in care. Keyworking is the provision of individualised care for each young person through a named member of the centre’s staff team. While a keyworker is not solely responsible for the care of the young person it is their responsibility to co-ordinate and ensure that the team focus is on progressing the young person’s care plan and the young person’s life in the centre. It is also crucial that the welfare and best interests of resident young people are of paramount consideration in all aspects of the care provided and that the young people in care are provided with an opportunity to feel safe, secure and protected from harm in an environment where they can be sure their primary needs will be met. Childcare act 1991 offers many approaches to meeting the needs of children and their families. Examples of these approaches include emergency care, assessment, short and long term care, respite care also to provide families in difficulty (Child Care Regulations 1996). There are s everal different theoretical approaches used in residential care.’ A therapeutic intervention is an intentional interaction(s) or event(s) which is expected to contribute to a positive outcome for a child or young person, which is selected on the basis of his/her identiï ¬ ed needs, and which is underpinned by an informed understanding of the potential impact and value of the interaction/event involved’ (Best Practice Guidelines) Attachment theory is an extremely important example. Where children who are placed in the child welfare system have not experienced a secure base with their primary carers it is essential that social care practitioners aim to form this quality of relationship with them which is what is meant by the provision of a ‘second chance secure base’. A secure base is a relationship within which a child or youth feels safe, nourished both physically and emotionally, where s/he is comforted when distressed, reassured when frightened. Aristotle argued that happiness for humans is not possible in the absence of reciprocal, affective relationships or friendships (Sherman 1991). Such relationships for children are only possible in the context of satisfactory attachments which provide for them a secure base from which to explore their environment (Bowlby 1988). Attachment theory emphasises that continuity and sensitive responses to youth in care are key features of the environment of care-giving (Rutter  & O’ Connor 1999). Due to persistent relationship problems and patterns, care staff offering a good relationship may not be enough. There may be a need to actively identify abusive relating and encourage and model alternatives. Important principles are: modelling; rewards rather than punishments; and natural consequences and consistently applied limits (Morton et al., 1999, p. 57). Social learning theory together with trauma and non-violence theory can form the basis of models which see the whole environment as a therapeutic agent (Abramovitz & Bloom, 2003). A social care worker needs to have a variety of skills and qualities when working in a residential home with vulnerable clients. The care worker needs to be open minded and non-judgemental, a good listener, patient, be able to work as part of a team, be understanding and must be flexible and be able to work under pressure or adapt to any changes quickly. Like every situation or care setting there are always pros and cons. The pros of residential care include: Residential Care is seen as a secure environment. Children get to build relationships with others Regulated by HSE to ensure the best possible care and services are given Activities are arranged The child’s needs are met and there is consistent care givenThe Cons of a residential care setting include: The child may feel neglected or unwanted and see themselves as being institutionalised. Often required to do things at set times May not always have a choice who they share rooms with and may not be compatible Limited living space and private space  A good care provider may not be good at property management and maintenance and vice versa (housingoptions.org.uk) Residential homes are operational under the three sectors which are public, private and voluntary. The public sector is defined as the whole of the activities, organisations, institutions or services, for which the state or its representatives can be regarded as the employer, and whereby the organisation, the goals and the operation thereof are determined by public authorities and underpinned by public funding.( www.eurofound.europa.eu) The Private Sector is the part of the economy that is not fully state controlled  and is run by individuals or groups of people. In the case of residential homes an example of a private run care home is Daffodil Care services. Although this is a private run service it is still monitored by the Health Service Executive. The final sector is the voluntary sector, which has ‘pioneered the provision of services, with the state becoming involved in a supportive role at a later stage’. In many instances voluntary organisations supplement the b asic services provided by the state. Depending on the type of activity engaged in, there are different sources of funding for voluntary organisations. These include the European Social Fund and Lottery Funding. The main sources of recurrent funds for the majority of voluntary organisations providing welfare services are health boards. Section 65 of the Health Act, 1953 provides that health authorities may support organisations providing services similar to those of the health authority. (Curry 2003) Conclusion In conclusion to this assignment we have discussed Residential Care as a whole and shows how theoretical approaches are used and also gives us a clear understanding of the three different sectors. Residential care will always be needed in society to ensure the care for children who may not have any other options or resources available. Reference List: Curry, J (2003). Irish Social Services, 4th ed. Dublin : British Library Best practice guidelines(2009)best practice guidelines for the use and implementation of therapeutic interventions for children and young people in out of home care [online] available:http://www.caab.ie/Publications/PDFs—Publications/Guidance-Documents/CAAB-Best-Prac-Guide-hteraputice-Inter.aspx[6th December 2011]. Evergreenconsultantsinhumanbehaviour[online]http://attachmenttherapy.com/adult.htm[6th December 2011].